able-bodied

adjective

able-bod·​ied ˌā-bəl-ˈbä-dēd How to pronounce able-bodied (audio)
: having a sound strong body

Examples of able-bodied in a Sentence

every able-bodied young man in the village had been sent off to fight in the war
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With lessons learned from these past developments, our focus has shifted to augmenting the performance of able-bodied workers in hazardous environments. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2024 With 2 million residents using food stamps, the state waived the work requirement for able-bodied adults to SNAP eligibility through August of next year, while the Department of Agriculture issued $2 million in grants to food banks across the commonwealth. Christina Lengyel | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Dec. 2024 McFadden told me a good portion of her early career involved a lot of educating people on wheelchair racing and how adaptive athletes can compete like their able-bodied counterparts. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Talented golfer with disability strives to compete in able-bodied tournaments Kipp Popert has ascended to the summit of the disability golf world. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for able-bodied 

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of able-bodied was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near able-bodied

Cite this Entry

“Able-bodied.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/able-bodied. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

able-bodied

adjective
able-bod·​ied
ˌā-bəl-ˈbäd-ēd
: having a healthy strong body : physically fit

More from Merriam-Webster on able-bodied

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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